Variety (September 1908)

VARIETY WEEK MORRIS' SUCCESSFUL OPENING. The opening of the Morris Circuit was successfully accomplished last Saturday when the Lincoln Square and American, New York, and Orpheum, Boston, com- menced operations. Vaudeville inaugurated the Lincoln Square. At the Saturday matinee, a fair house greeted the first show. In the eve- ning about two-thirds of the orchestra was occupied, with capacity upstairs. Tn the evening many vaudevillians and agents attended the performance. No "opposition" managers were noted. A number of cables and telegrams of good wishes and success were pinned over the doors and windows of the entrance. At the American, where the Italian Grand Opera Company commenced an en- gagement of four weeks with "Aida," the police stopped the sale of tickets before the curtain was raised. The house was jammed from the orchestra to the roof. At the Orpheum, Boston, the advance sale for the opening performance by Will- iams and Walker guaranteed. Vaudeville will follow into the Or- pheum on Oct. 5, the colored comedians' engagement lasting four weeks. Vaude- ville at the American starts the same day. The admission at the Lincoln Square for the evening shows ranges from $1 in the front orchestra scats to 25 cents. Box chairs are $1.50. Matinee prices arc 25 and 50 cents. As the official representative of the White Rats, Harry Mountford witnessed the raising of the curtain. AUSTRALIA WANTS AMERICANS. On Wednesday John Fuller, the director of six theatres in Auckland, left for the West, by which route he will proceed home through Japan, China and the Phil- ippines, reaching Auckland about Decem- ber. While in New York, Mr. Fuller said that next spring his eldest son and the active manager of the circuit, which plays vaudeville, would come to America to ar- range for the exportation of American acts to New Zealand and Australia. Plans are now being made in those countries, said Mr. Fuller, to furnish American acts with six-months' time. The Fuller Circuit alone could supply twelve or thirteen weeks. Through the scheme having been ignored by Harry Rickards, the most prominent of the Australian managers, other houses outside the Rickards circuit had been interested with him in the movement, added Mr. Fuller. ARTISTS ROBBED. Burglars early this week broke into the storage warehouse of Brooks & Clark at 430 West 31st Street. The trunks of a score or more vaudeville acts were broken open and rifled, including those I>clonging to Franklin and Green, the Fred Karno Company and the Majestic Four. Several of the victims had their winter clothing stored in the place, and will now 1m» forced to replace them. One of the firm who ran the establishment could not be found. MISS HOFFMANN WITH SHUBERTS. The tangle has been unsnarled. The Shuberts will present Gertrude Hoffmann on the stage from Sept. 28 henceforth. Miss Hoffmann had not been advised up to Thursday what she would appear in. But the arrangements are made, and a piece will l>e provided in all probability on scheduled time. Alfred Butt, manager of the Palace, London, has declined to release Miss Hoff- mann from her contracted engagement there, which should commence Oct. 25. Max Hoffmann, acting for his wife, will allow the future to adjust the disturbance in England, meanwhile remaining over here. Between now and the date of the "Salome" dancer's departure from Ham- merstein's Mr. Hammerstein will secure another feature to replace his consecutive headline!' for the past ten weeks or so. TALKING BIRDS ON EXHIBITION. Next Monday (Sept. 14) at the Empire, lloboken, Nibio's Talking Birds, a foreign act, will exhibit for the first American showing. Niblo, who is a foreigner, carries two parrots around the orchestra, when they are said to answer any question put by an auditor. The act was engaged for this country by B. Obermayer. It has played at the Hippodrome, London. The Lincoln Square program states that Harry Lauder will make his American reappearance at that theatre. CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLEMENT. Atlantic City, N. J., Sept. 10. • Giles Clements, manager of Steeple- chase Pier, and Percy Irvin, the treas- urer, were placed under arrest here on Saturday by a constable who had war- rants sworn out by the owners of the Pier, charging them with embezzlement. They were released under bail by a magis- trate. The owners' technical charge is the theft of 25 cents a day for a series of days. Manager Clements in a statement made by his attorney claims that the charge is an outrage, saying he never was under a given salary, but received various amounts from the pier company at the end of each season. To a Variety cor- respondent he stated that he could prove his innocence and would possibly bring a suit for damages against the pier com- pany. Treasurer Moore of the company is in charge this week. Manager Clem- ents and Treasurer Irvin have been here for a number of years, and are both thought well of. MABEL McKINLEY AN "INDEPEN- DENT." Through Myers and I/cavitt, her >i gents, Mabel McKinley, the .singer, signed this week for the Morris Circuit. Mr. and Mrs. T<»m llr.mi f«»nl un<l Oneln sailed on the A<li;i!ir «mi Wednesday of this week. T'i" I'.r.-iin lords npni soon in London.